| Volumes and Issues Contents of Issue 2 |
www.atmos-meas-tech-discuss.net/3/1303/2010/
doi:10.5194/amtd-3-1303-2010
© Author(s) 2010. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Investigation of the accuracy for single scattering albedo retrieval from global UV irradiance measurements
1Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Greece
2Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Davos, Switzerland
3Finnish Meteorological Institute, Kuopio Unit, Finland
4Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens, Greece
Abstract. Retrieval of aerosol optical absorption properties in the UV spectral range such as single scattering albedo (SSA), using remote sensing techniques, is currently an open scientific issue. We investigate the limitations on calculating columnar SSA using a combination of global UV spectral measurements (that are comon in various UV monitoring stations worldwide) in combination with radiative transfer modeling. To point out the difficulties in such retrieval we have used the travelling reference spectroradiometer (QASUME) results from 27 visits to UV monitoring stations around Europe, using the QASUME instrument as relative reference, analyzing absolute differences and also temporal and spectral deviations of UV irraidances, that are used as basic input for the SSA retrieval.
The results comparing the mean SSA derived by all instruments, measuring synchronous UV spectra, showed that 5 were within ±0.02 difference from the SSA calculated from the QASUME instrument, while 17 were within ±0.04, for the Solar zenith angle of 60 degrees. As for the uncertainty that has been calculated using the 2σ standard deviation of the spectral measurements, a mean 0.072 and 0.10 (2σ) uncertainties have been calculated for 60° and 30° respectively. Based on such results we show that only very few instruments could be able to detect long term SSA changes. However, such measurements/results are useful in order to retrieve SSA at UV wavelengths, a product needed for various applications such as, inputs for modeling radiative forcing studies and satellite retrieval algorithms.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 568 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 4 Comments) Final Revised Paper (AMT)
Notice on Discussion StatusCitation: Kazadzis, S., Gröbner, J., Arola, A., and Amiridis, V.: Investigation of the accuracy for single scattering albedo retrieval from global UV irradiance measurements, Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., 3, 1303-1321, doi:10.5194/amtd-3-1303-2010, 2010. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
